Broken Pieces
by Pairadicelost
Summary: Cordelia and Angel visit Sunnydale to find things aren't what they used to be.


  
**Title: **Broken Pieces   
**Author: **Hiruko    
**Rating: **PG   
**Email: **hiruko_dark@hotmail.com   
**Content: **C/A, angst Crossover with BTVS   
**Summary: **Cordelia and Angel visit Sunnydale to find things aren't what they used to be.   
**Spoilers: **Everything is game   
**Disclaimer: **The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.   
**Distribution: **Nothing Fancy. Any others, please ask   
**Notes: **Season 6 on BTVS ended the same, however on Angel S3 ended vastly different. Conner confronted Angel, but they resolved their issues and misinformation. Cordelia said no to Skip, and her and Angel got together. It's my story and I can manipulate things to how I want them, so there. 

* * *

Cordelia never used to like road trips. Not only did she usually get mind-blowing headaches that would rival a vision hangover, but also she had to be trapped in a small metal box for sometimes hours on end. No, Cordelia Chase was not meant to be riding in cars - she was meant to ride in limos, to be traveling in private jets to exotic locations. She certainly wasn't meant to be traveling in a psudeo-batmobile, heading to Sunnydale, home of the Hellmouth. But, on this particular day, she found herself relishing every minute of it because she was in the company of one very handsome man.pire.  
  
"You're staring." His voice was trying to be reprimanding, but a small smirk that was tugging at the corner of his lips gave him away.   
  
"Can't I stare? You always do."  
  
He gave her a sidelong glance that was definitely not focused on her face. "But you have parts that are meant for staring."  
  
She smacked him on the arm, and he yowled in mock pain. "Hey, keep your eyes on the road buddy." He chuckled, as she crossed her arms and pretended to pout.  
  
"Admit it Cor, you love it when I stare."  
  
"I'm not sure if I like this new perverted you," she scowled.  
  
"I've suppressed my perverted ways for centuries. You've just made it resurface."  
  
"Great. I think I'd rather have had Angelus resurface. At least he's an easy problem to fix. One stake through the heart, and problem solved."  
  
"Yup, can't use that to get rid of me," he said smugly.  
  
"But then again, I think I can certainly use it if I catch you staring elsewhere."  
  
"I can assure you, that will never happen," he said in all seriousness, his eyes focused firmly on the highway before him.   
  
"Not even if it's Buffy?" she asked teasingly.  
  
"Not even if it's Buffy."   
  
The grin on her face slowly faded, and she looked out the window pensively.  
  
He risked another glance at her. "What's the matter?" he asked, noting her silence.   
  
"Angel, I don't want you to tell them."  
  
"Tell who what?" he asked, a bewildered expression on his face.  
  
"Buffy and the others. I don't want you to tell them about us."  
  
Angel tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his jaw tightening slightly. "Cordelia-"  
  
"No, I don't want an argument from you. I just want you to not tell them."   
  
"It's not something we can - I can easily hide."  
  
"I realize this, but I want you to try."  
  
"Why? Why don't you want to tell them?"  
  
She returned her attention to the window, refusing to look at him.   
He growled. "Look, if you want me to do what you ask, you have to at least give me a reason."  
  
She sighed and forced herself to look at him. "Because I can't go back to high school."  
  
"I'm not sure what you mean," he said uncertainly.   
  
"I can't go back to them versus Cordelia. I can't do it," her voice cracked slightly, and Angel instinctively grabbed her hand while keeping his remaining hand on the wheel. She entwined her hand in his, taking comfort from it. "If they know about us, they're going to think I stole you from Buffy-that that's all I set out to do. And once again, I become the reigning bitch of Sunnydale."  
  
"That's not going to happen," he said firmly. Angel never really knew the Cordelia from the past, nor did he profess to have much knowledge of the relationships she shared with the Scooby gang, but he knew the woman now. And if there were one thing he was certain of, they would have to be blind to see the woman she had become.   
  
"I wish I had your certainty," she said wistfully. "But I would still prefer to keep our relationship incognito. I also don't think they're ready for this kind of bombshell, especially Buffy. What they really need is our comfort, and I don't want to rub our happiness in their faces. So I want to keep it more secure than the date of Brad Pitt's and Jennifer Aniston's marriage. Ok?"  
  
He sighed, realizing he wasn't going to win against her. "Ok, but I'm not going to lie. If they ask me, I'll tell them the truth. Deal?"  
  
"Fine. Deal. And this also means no Pervey-Angel."  
  
He shook his head. "You always get your way don't you?" he asked affectionately.  
  
"They didn't call me Queen- hey, watch the hands!"   
  
Angel smirked. "What? We haven't reached Sunnydale yet."  
  
* * *   
  
Cordelia hadn't been back to Sunnydale in three years, yet she didn't feel nostalgic coming back home at all. No, not home, she thought. Los Angeles was home; this had been a temporary hellish pit stop. There weren't many fond memories of this place, and if there were, too many bad memories made them insignificant.   
  
She wondered if the Scooby gang had changed as much as she had over the years. She'd be out of the circle for so long. The only person she ever kept in contact with was Willow and even then, she never knew what was truly going on. Especially when it came to recent events.   
  
She felt guilty that it took a funeral to get her back into Sunnydale. She hadn't even been able to go to Buffy's funeral, thanks to a trip in Pylea, yet now she would be attending a funeral of a girl she had never even gotten the chance to meet.  
  
The abrupt stop of the car shook Cordelia from her thoughts, and she noticed that they had arrived at their destination. Angel had made good time for they still had another thirty minutes before the sun would rise.   
  
The two of them approached the door and Angel poised his hand to knock on it but, before he could, it was jerked open and a familiar figure stood before them.  
  
Cordelia was amazed at how worn Buffy looked. Dark shadows underlined her eyes, and she appeared thinner than she usually was. Buffy had always been small, but always seemed to have an inner strength that made her appear larger than life. Now, it appeared that if Cordelia so much as breathed on her, she'd fly away.  
  
Buffy gestured the two of them in. "Everyone else is still asleep," Buffy said.   
  
They entered the kitchen, after tiptoeing by a sleeping Xander who was curled up on the couch. Once Angel and Cordelia sat at the kitchen counter, Buffy began pouring a cup of coffee. She pushed it toward Cordelia, who took it gratefully. She began pouring another cup. "Did you want one Angel? Wait - forget I asked. I forgot that you don't drink coffee."  
  
"No, I'd love a cup. I've acquired a taste for it these past years," Angel said, surprising her. Buffy looked at him questioningly but pushed the coffee cup at him without a word.   
  
The vampire took a sip, and he smiled in appreciation. "Very good. Especially compared to the coffee I've been subjected to in the past few years."  
  
"I've gotten better," Cordelia said defensively.   
  
"When it's instant," Angel said pointedly.  
  
Buffy smiled at the exchange as she leaned against the wall with her own coffee. "Well, I had a mother who made sure I knew how to brew. Without me, I fear she would have never made it through work awake," Buffy said, and the bickering couple fell silent in remembrance of Joyce.   
  
Cordelia cleared her throat. "So...um...how's Willow doing?"  
  
Buffy furrowed her forehead, uncertain of how to phrase exactly how   
her friend was doing. "She's doing as well as can be expected," she said finally.   
  
"So Giles is planning on taking her to England with him?" Cordelia asked.   
  
Buffy nodded. "I...uh...don't think she feels comfortable here with us. Also, she needs help that we can't provide. She's probably better off with Giles. He could help her with her addiction," she paused. " She's also still hurting, badly. I don't think she really remembers what happened."  
  
"Selective memory," Angel said, nodding. "She doesn't want to think she was capable of such acts."  
  
"I forgot that you were the expert on guilt," Buffy said.   
  
"I thought that's why you wanted me here."  
  
The two former lovers stared at each other intently, and Cordelia shifted uncomfortably.   
  
Buffy was the first to break eye contact, and she looked over at Cordelia, eyebrow raised. "Your hair, it's different."  
  
Cordelia touched the nape of her neck self-consciously. "I've actually been growing it back out," she said, making a face. "I'm not sure if going this short was one of my better judgments."  
  
Buffy cocked her head, studying Cordelia. "I like it. You look more mature."  
  
"I'm not sure if that's from her haircut or from her years with me," Angel said allowing his eyes to meet Cordelia's briefly. She scowled at him, but Buffy didn't notice for she was focused elsewhere.  
  
"Sorry, did we wake you?" she said.  
  
Xander, who was now leaning in the frame of the kitchen doorway, yawned slightly. Angel and Cordelia both stood, but he shook his head. "No, you guys were fine. I just had a bad dream is all."  
  
"There seem to be a lot of those going around," Buffy muttered.  
  
Cordelia was sure she didn't want to ask, and even if she had, she wouldn't have gotten the chance. Xander stepped in the kitchen and pulled her in a warm embrace. Angel shot Xander a dirty look that did not go unnoticed by Buffy.  
  
"Cordy, it's been forever."  
  
She returned his embrace warmly, marveling how different Xander felt now. When he had once been skinny and bony, he was now muscular and broad. She pulled away from him and looked at him appraisingly. Muscular or not, he still looked as worn-out as Buffy was.  
  
"It's been a rough few months for you guys, hasn't it?" Cordelia asked, concern etching across her face. She heard the break-up with Anya had not gone over well.  
  
"It's been a rough year," Xander said, looking at Buffy who suddenly averted her eyes from his. Cordelia sensed there was something that the two of them were concealing, but she refrained from asking. Xander refocused his attention on Cordelia. "Almost as rough as you guys had it. Buffy told me about Conner. Why didn't you bring the little tyke?"  
  
"First off, he's not little," Angel interjected. "Second, I didn't feel he was ready to meet others yet. He's still adjusting to this world."  
  
Cordelia made a small pfft sound, and Angel looked at her sharply. She shrugged her shoulders. "I'd say he's adjusting pretty well. You didn't see him ogling the girls when I took him to the mall the other day."  
  
"Girls? Conner doesn't ogle girls!" Angel said, mouth agape.  
  
"I'm not sure what life you're living-Wait, that's right, you aren't living a life. I'm sorry."  
  
Angel chuckled and Xander looked at him in horror. "Ok, I don't know about the rest of you, but when Angel laughs, it makes me incredibly nervous."  
  
"It's ok Xander. He's still soul-bound," Cordelia said, touching Xander's chest.   
  
Xander let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good to know, but that does not make me feel better about almost wetting my pants."  
  
"You always were ready to run from danger," Cordelia mused.  
  
"Only when you were the origin of it," Xander shot back, and the two of them stood smiling at each other.   
  
Angel watched the two of them, expressionless. He'd forgotten what it was like when Cordelia and Xander were together and he wasn't sure if he liked it.   
  
"Hey, why don't you and I grab some breakfast? We still have a few hours before the service, and everyone will probably be waking up pretty soon. Plus, I don't think we can deal with another Buffy breakfast special," Xander said to Cordelia. Buffy stuck her tongue out at him in displeasure, but he ignored her.   
  
Cordelia rewarded him with a bright smile. "That sounds great," she   
said, before shooting a questioningly look at Angel, who nodded his reluctant approval.   
  
Once the two of them left, Angel realized he was now alone with Buffy. He shuffled around uncomfortably, feeling unusually awkward.  
  
"Living in L.A. appears to have had a humanizing effect on you," Buffy observed, placing her half-finished cup of coffee in the sink.   
  
"I suppose it has," Angel said slowly.   
  
Buffy, with her back still to him hung her head slightly. "I'm glad you're here, despite how our last visit went. I must admit, I wasn't myself back then, having just been dropped out of heaven and all." She cringed slightly, thinking about how she had begged him to stay with her. She hadn't known who else she could turn to at the time.  
  
"I understood," Angel said quietly. "Buffy, I wish I could have stayed, but I had obligations."  
  
She straightened her back and turned around, mustering a smile. "I know, you had a family to take care of, and now you have a son. I'm glad." It seemed ironic, really. While Angel's family was growing and strengthening, hers had been falling apart. She paused. "I wish you could have brought Conner. I would really like to meet him."  
  
He managed a small smile at the mention of his son's name. "I know."  
  
"I'm glad you're here, though. Especially now." Buffy approached him and wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to try and forget these last few months while in his arms. She didn't want to think about Spike, about Willow, or anyone else for that matter. All she wanted to do was breathe in that familiar Angel scent and go back to a time when this was all that mattered, but she wasn't getting the comfort she sought. She frowned and opened her eyes, feeling something different in Angel's embrace. Angel was returning her hug stiffly. She drew back, but her hands remained behind his neck. She looked at him searchingly, but his face was impassive.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said, wondering if she overstepped some ex-lover boundary.  
  
He shook his head. "Don't be. I guess...I guess I can't be what you need right now."  
  
She smiled. "Hugging isn't exactly saying 'hey, I want us to get back together.' I've gotten past that...since your last visit. I've come to the conclusion that if I can't have you in my life as my boyfriend, I want you as my friend. And friends give comfort hugs. Can you handle that?"  
  
He finally smiled. "Yeah, I think I can handle that."  
  
"Good," she said. She returned his smile, but unlike his, it didn't quite reach her eyes.   
  
* * *   
  
"These are the bestest bagels ever! And this veggie cream cheese...what genius thought of it?"  
  
"Slow down Cordy, we want to save some cream cheesey goodness for the rest of the crew," Xander said as he watched his former girlfriend stuff pieces of a bagel in her mouth.  
  
"I can't believe that bakery didn't exist when I was living here."   
  
"They were waiting for you to leave, actually," he said and quickly ducked Cordelia's playful punch.  
  
"Xander Harris, you haven't changed a bit."  
  
He snorted. "But one Cordelia Chase certainly has. I can't believe both my ex-girlfriends are demons. This can not be a good track record to have."  
  
"You're lucky that you're on my good side now. If not, you'd be running from my evil glowbug action."  
  
Xander smiled, and stuffed his hands in pocket. They walked in companionable silence for a while before Xander finally broke it.   
  
"I miss her."  
  
Cordelia was silent at his statement and merely looked at him with concern.  
  
"Everyday, I find myself thinking about her. I think about everything we've been through, and how much I love her."  
  
"Xander-" Cordelia began, but he held out a hand to cut her off.  
  
"I don't think I deserve her. I know that I sabotaged our relationship. Just like I've sabotaged every other meaningful relationship that I've had," he looked at her, and Cordelia found that she couldn't look at him directly.  
  
"Cordy, do you ever think about us?" he said quietly.  
  
"Sometimes. But usually I don't like to dwell on the past," Cordelia said, finally allowing herself to meet his eyes. "What we had was great at one time, but it wasn't meant to be. In some ways, I'm glad you cheated on me. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have gone to Los Angeles. I wouldn't have met Angel, and I wouldn't be where I am today."   
  
He didn't seemed surprised at her response, and Cordelia was relieved he didn't take it the wrong way. "It's funny," he said, as they continued to walk. "I think about us all the time. I think I originally got together with Anya because she was so much like you. She's even human because of you. It's like I had this constant reminder of what I did to you back in high school."  
  
"You know, at one point in time I wished that you felt miserable for the rest of your life because of what you did to me. But then again, I also wished for you to never know the touch of a woman at the same time. I'd like to think I've grown since then."  
  
He tilted his head, and smiled. "Yes, I think you have. In fact, you've managed to bring into the public eye that specialness I saw in you years ago."  
  
"Now why couldn't you have been this smooth when you were dating me?" She paused. "You know, as much as it pains me to say this, I loved you Xander Harris and I think a small part of me always will. I think it's a curse for being such a bitch in high school."  
  
He laughed. "It's nice to know that I had an impact on someone's life."  
  
"I think you had an impact on Anya's."   
  
Xander tabled the comment for a moment, and looked away.  
  
"Xander," she began carefully. "Why did you leave Anya at the altar? It wasn't because she reminded you of me."  
  
Xander contemplated the question, before giving her an answer. "You know what my family is like. I saw a possible future for us, and I was afraid of hurting her," he snorted. "It looks like I did a good job of doing that without marrying her huh?"   
  
"Xander, you can't let a vision of the future interfere with your life. Nothing is set in stone."  
  
"And you're the expert because?"   
  
"Hello? Vision Girl here," Cordelia said smirking. "I have the link to the PTB and they say that Xander Harris deserves a little happiness in his life - no matter what sins he may have committed against their beautiful, charming, and stylish seer. So I say go get that demoness and marry her. Live your life the way you want it, and never look back."  
  
Xander chuckled, but it was followed by a sigh. "I wish it were that simple. But some things went on afterwards that might not be repairable."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Anya had sex with Spike."  
  
"What?" Cordelia almost choked on the bagel she was still eating.   
  
Xander shrugged. "I think it was her way of getting back at me for leaving her."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Yeah, wow," Xander said. "But that's not what really bothers me. Buffy slept with Spike as well."  
  
"Double wow. Have there been no decent men in Sunnydale since I left or what?"  
  
He didn't seem amused by her comment. Instead, he looked at her seriously. "It bothered me more than Anya and him being together. So I have to question, how much do I really love her?"  
  
The implication of Xander's statement sunk in, and Cordelia began to wonder if Anya, like Cordelia before her, had always come second to Buffy in Xander 's life. But before Cordelia could voice her concerns, Xander stopped. "We're here."  
  
Cordelia followed his gaze to see that there were back at the house. Before she knew it, Xander was bounding up the stairs. "C'mon, I bet everyone is starving."  
  
She sighed, but followed him in. She seriously doubted that they would ever get to finish their conversation.   
  
* * *   
  
The family unity was lost, and it unnerved Buffy more than any Big Bad could. Xander sat in the dining room, playing solitaire while Anya was prepping dinner in the kitchen, alone. Giles sat across from Xander, reading a book quietly and Dawn was sitting glassy-eyed on the couch, her attention plastered on the television screen. Willow had retreated to her room, wanting to be left alone. Everyone was in the same house, yet they seemed miles away from each other.  
  
Buffy glanced in the direction of Cordelia and Angel, who were conversing quietly in the corner. An unconscious frown appeared on her face as she watched them.   
  
Ever since they arrived, something had been gnawing in the back of Buffy's brain about the two of them. She found it only natural that they would be close, considering the years they've worked together, but she hadn't quite expected them to be this closely bonded. Every time Cordelia would leave the room, Angel visibly noticed and tensed up, only relaxing when she returned. When they were in conversations together, they would look at each other constantly for approval, and have inside jokes that only they would laugh at. Buffy didn't know Angel could joke, let alone have inside jokes. She also found it unnerving that Cordelia knew more intimate details of Angel than she did. Yes, something was going on between the two of them, and she wasn't sure how to deal with it.  
  
Buffy approached the couple in question, and whatever conversation the two of them had going stopped immediately.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to stay in the car during the service," Buffy said. "We couldn't have you bursting into flames and all."  
  
"It's alright. I'm used to it."   
  
Buffy and Angel stood, staring at each other in uncomfortable silence.  
  
"I'm going to help Anya in the kitchen," Cordelia said, sensing that Buffy wanted to speak to Angel alone.   
  
"You don't cook Cordy," Angel said.  
  
She looked at him defensively. "I'll have you know that I can microwave as mean as anyone can."   
  
She pretended to walk off in a huff, and Angel watched her with a bemused expression. He returned his attention to Buffy, who was now eyeing him critically.  
  
Earlier, he thought they had overcome any awkwardness that was between them, but he was apparently wrong. There was something that was obviously bothering her.   
  
"Let's go outside, the sun's down," Buffy said, indicating the front door.  
  
Angel nodded, and the two of them walked out onto the front porch. They sat side by side in the light of the moonlight, and Angel reminisced fondly about a time when this had been as commonplace as sleeping.  
  
"Things are strained," Buffy said, commenting on the others in the living room.  
  
"I can tell," Angel said. "It'll take awhile for not only Willow to heal, but for all of you."  
  
Buffy stared off into the night. "Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever pick up the pieces."   
  
"I wondered that for a long time after I came back from my dark period," Angel said. "But I found a way to put it together. It's not impossible. It just takes time, commitment...and love."  
  
"I suppose it was difficult getting Cordelia's forgiveness."  
  
Angel ducked his head, a pained expression on his face. "She isn't the most forgiving person. It did take her a long time to...to forgive me."  
  
"Are you in love with her?" Buffy asked, deciding to take the direct approach.  
  
Angel looked at her in surprise, but didn't say anything. It was enough of an answer for her. "You are in love with her." An ironic smile formed. "For some reason, I held the belief that I was the only one you could ever love. I took comfort in the fact that you'd always be there for me. That one day, I could just walk back in your life and everything would go back to the way it was." She cocked her head, looking at him. "I was wrong wasn't I?"   
  
He still didn't respond, and it triggered a surge of anger and resentment. She threw up her hands. "How could this happen? It's Cordelia of all people!"  
  
"Yes, it is Cordelia," Angel said, not liking her tone. "The one woman who gave up every chance for a normal life to be with me.received life-threatening visions - became half-demon- and gave up being a higher being - all for me. How could I not love her?"  
  
Buffy felt tears forming, but she fought them off. "And me?"   
  
Angel's expression softened, and he once again saw that girl he had fallen in love with years ago shining through. He wrapped his arm around her, bringing her close to him. "I still do Buffy," he said softly. "I always will.but what I feel for Cordelia," he paused. "What you and I had was real. It was that all-consuming, burning love that wasn't meant to last. With Cordelia, I feel calm-I feel at peace. And it's something that I never imagined I could feel. It's a feeling that you deserve to have yourself someday. But it could never happen with us. The PTB made sure of that," he said, allowing himself to reflect briefly on the day that never was. "Buffy, I think I was always destined to be with Cordelia, not you."  
  
The words hurt Buffy more than she let it show, but she was beginning to understand the depth of Angel's feelings. "Why didn't you tell me?"   
  
"She didn't want anyone to know yet. She was afraid of rejection," he sighed. "It's funny - despite all the people around her who love and respect her, she still craves for approval from you guys. It's as if some part of her is still that girl in high school who always felt like an outsider."  
  
"I never knew she felt that way," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"I think she'd kill me if she found out I told you that," Angel said, and groaned slightly. "She'll probably stake me now that you know about us."  
  
Buffy removed Angel's arm from her, and stood up slowly. "Then maybe you shouldn't tell her."  
  
He looked at her, surprised. He searched her eyes, and saw none of the anger that had been there earlier.  
  
"I can't lie to you Angel, I'm not sure if I can get used to this. But, as much as I hate to say this, I should realize that I can't hold onto what we were. It's not fair to me, and it's not fair to you. And, I think that it's only fair for her to tell me on her own time." A thin smile formed on her face. "A lot of things have changed this past year haven't they?"  
  
"Yes. Yes they have," Angel said, standing. He held out his hand. "If we can't go back to what we were, can we at least manage to be friends?"  
  
She took his hand. "I thought we had established that earlier this morning. I think we can manage." She smiled, and this time it reached her eyes.  
  
* * *   
  
When the two of them returned, everyone was seated at the dinner table. Cordelia raised her eyebrows, asking an unspoken question as Angel took his seat beside her, but he ignored it. Instead, he gratefully looked at the cup of pig's blood that was before him, and nodded in appreciation toward Cordelia.  
  
Buffy, in turn, sat next to Willow. The redhead barely acknowledged her friend's arrival. She sipped her water, and only allowed a brief flicker of the eyes in Buffy's direction.  
  
The group began eating with only the sounds of clicking glass and silverware filling the room. Even Dawn, who usually tried to get some conversations going, remained silent.  
  
The silence, however, was driving one Cordelia Chase insane. It was such a contrast to the last time she had dinner here. It had been graduation night, and everyone had been giddy, talkative and excited. She remembered barely being able to tell one conversation from the next, and she remembered the love - the love that had been so blatantly apparent between them all. Who were these people and what had they done to her friends? Well, if there was one thing she could do while she was here, it was give these people a kick in the pants.  
  
She clicked a fork against her glass, and everyone looked up to see who would dare disturb their silence.  
  
"Guys, could I just get your attention here, for a moment," Cordelia asked, and Angel cringed slightly, not knowing where she was going to go with this. "Look, I realize that I haven't been here, and I know there are a lot of issues to resolve, but this is ridiculous. Ever since I got here, you have been tiptoeing on eggshells around each other. I don't care who slept with who, or who tried to destroy the world - all I care about is that I see a group of people here who at one time had a comradery that I envied," she looked directly at Willow, and her voice softened. "Willow, I know you loved Tara, and I hate to sound like a bad movie cliché, but do you really think she would want you to shun the people who loved you? I know there's some guilt, but with time - they're the only ones who can make it better."  
  
Willow looked at her, tears threatening to well beneath her eyes.  
  
"And Anya, Xander can be a complete moron-"  
  
"Hey!" Xander cried.  
  
"-and he may do things on impulse without thinking them through, but in his heart, he loves you.and he shouldn't second-guess that, no matter what other feelings he may try to analyze," Cordelia said looking in his direction pointedly. "I can't say you two will resolve your problems, but the least you can do is speak to each other. I think you all deserve that. Don't you?"   
  
They all looked at her, a little shell-shocked. She threw up her hands in exasperation. "I would really like to have a decent, normal meal here before Angel and I make like bunnies tonight and hop on out of here."  
  
Xander was the first to break. "On so many levels could that bunny analogy could have gone in a very wrong place."  
  
"Please don't bring up bunnies. I have issues," Anya said.  
  
Dawn nodded furiously. "Yes, Cordelia.you really don't want to get her on the bunny issue. I seemed to recall she even had a solo song about it once."   
  
"A solo song?" Angel asked.  
  
Willow cut in before Dawn could continue. "Well, let's say we all got solo songs that day. I in particular, tried to stay out of it as much as possible-"  
  
Cordelia sat back, satisfied. Problems weren't solved, but it was a start. Buffy caught her eye and smiled at her, mouthing a thank you. Cordelia returned a brilliant smile of her own, but tilted her head slightly. She sensed there was something different about the slayer, but she couldn't quite place it. Whatever thought crossed her mind, it soon vanished when she began getting on the tail end of a conversation.  
  
"Buffy worked where???"  
  
* * *   
  
They had been on the road for about 20 minutes and Angel still had not said a word since they left. Cordelia looked concernedly at Angel. "Are you ok? You've been quiet for awhile now."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just ready to return home. Being in Sunnydale just reminded me of how much I miss everyone," he said.  
  
"Hmm.me too," she shook her head in wonder. "By the way, thank you for not saying anything." He was unresponsive, and she poked him. "You didn't say anything to anyone about us did you?"  
  
"Ow," he said laughing. "No, I didn't say anything." Well, it was the truth.   
  
"Good," she said, satisfied. She crossed her arms and focused on the car ahead of them. "Do you think things will ever be the same for them again?"  
  
"Hard to say. There is a lot of healing to be done. Right now, Buffy is the only one holding them together."  
  
"Yeah," she said thoughtfully. "Makes our lives in comparison seem like a cakewalk doesn't it?"  
  
Angel smiled wryly. "Well, I wouldn't go that far. I say give them time. They'll find their way back to each other."  
  
"Hmm...like you and Wes are?" Cordelia said sarcastically.  
  
Angel shot a glare in her direction. "We're working on it Cor. These things take time."  
  
She held up her hands in defense. "I know, I know. Angel, what were you and Buffy discussing before dinner?"  
  
"I don't know, what were you and Xander discussing when you went to go get breakfast?"  
  
"I'm never going to know am I?"  
  
He flashed her an enigmatic smile. "It's not important. What's important now is that we're heading home, and everything can return to normal."   
  
She sighed. "What do you mean norma- hey! Where the hell is your hand going?"  
  
"Pervey-Angel has returned."  
  
Fin.


End file.
